Lebanese Za'atar Manakeesh

5 from 8 votes

Za'atar manakeesh, or manouche, are Lebanese thyme and olive oil flatbreads.

Servings:

Or, use store-bought dough (see note 1). Measure out the flour and place it in a bowl. Add dry yeast, sugar, and salt. Combine all the dry ingredients together using a spoon. Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Crack the egg in the well. Add in the milk, oil, and a little bit of water (save the rest and use only if needed). Start folding in the flour sides and use your hands to combine everything. When the dough's texture is pretty soft, form it into a ball. Place the dough ball on a floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Roll the dough in any shape you want to and cover it with cling film (plastic wrap). Then wrap it up with a kitchen towel and leave it out to rest for one hour.

After the dough has risen, knead for 5 minutes. Then, shape the dough into a large ball. Shape into smaller individual portions (around 10). Roll each portion into a proportional circle.
Mix the dry za'atar mixture with olive oil in a bowl. Spread the za'atar and olive oil mixture in a thin layer on each circle. Add some parchment paper to a baking sheet. Place the za'atar bread on the baking sheet leaving some distance between each.
Pop the manakeesh into the middle of the oven at 350 ℉ (180 ℃). Check on the manakeesh after 12 minutes. They should take around 15 to 20 minutes to cook completely.
Remove the manakeesh from the oven. Serve hot alongside some chopped vegetables.

If not making the dough from scratch, there are a couple of substitutions for store-bought dough. Pizza dough, whole-wheat biscuit dough, and dinner roll dough are all suitable options for this recipe.